Report of gas leak prompts evacuation of Central Avenue building

Police and fire teams were called to the intersection of Central Avenue and 2nd Street on reports of a gas leak Wednesday, prompting a precautionary evacuation. 

Around 10:30 a.m., officials arrived to Salons by JC, which sits below The DeSota apartment complex. 

Upon arriving, officials found a fire alarm had been pulled and began evacuating residents until they could isolate where the issue was. 

Eventually, officials found the problem to be a malfunction with a ventilation system within a gas system, according to Sarasota County Fire Department. 

Since the issue was with the ventilation system and not the gas system as a whole, officials determined it was safe for residents and patrons of the building to resume normal activity. 

Traffic was diverted away from the area throughout the hour-long call and no injuries were reported. 

Salons by JC will now repair the ventilation system, which will keep similar reports from happening in the future.